Sicilian Sashimi

Prior to World War II, tuna fisherman would tether nets to the ocean floor off the Southern Coast of Sicily. Since the waters between Sicily and North Africa are shallow, the fish already have less room to swim through the channel so the nets would serve as a labyrinth to confuse them. The honored, strongest swimmers amongst the fishermen would chase the fish into coves and when the fish grew weary, the fishermen would bop them on the heads and pull them out of the water to eat.

Ingredients

½ lb. Sushi-Grade Big-Eyed or Bluefin Tuna

¼ cup Rotture di Oro Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Trapani Sea Salt

6 Fresh Basil Leaves (Chopped)

1 Lemon, Quartered

Preparation

When selecting your tuna, choose a piece that you will be able to cut at least 2” across, against the grain of the meat.

Wrap tuna tightly in plastic and freeze for one hour. Remove from freezer when fish is firm, but not solid.

Use a sharp knife to cut the fish into slices of 1/8” thick or as thin as possible. Marinade the slices of fish in Rotture di Oro in a sealed container atop a bed of ice. Refrigerate the sealed container for 30 minutes.

Remove tuna from fridge and arrange on a plate. Drizzle Rotture di Oro over tuna. Sprinkle with Trapani sea salt. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon.